As time progresses, there is an ever-increasing demand for data storage. As businesses increasingly turn to paper free environments and computer intensive business practices, there is increased usage of electronic storage. With consumers showing an increased interest in digital photography, digital music and movies, and other digital entertainment, there is increased demand for electronic storage. Moreover, with the advent of cloud-based computing and remote storage, both businesses and consumers are turning to large-scale storage systems that provide remote access to data.
With the increasing demand for electronic storage, there is a corresponding increase in demand for higher density magnetic storage devices, such as hard disk drives. Hard disk drives conventionally include read/write transducers that reside within a slider. The slider flies over a recording medium or disk. Lower clearance between the read/write transducers and the recording media permits higher storage density recording media.
However, if the slider contacts the storage media, such contact can cause damage within storage media or to the slider. Further, the surface of the recording media or the amount of lubricant over the storage media can fluctuate with position along the surface of the storage media. Such fluctuations can lead to changes in the parameters associated with accurate data storage or can poorly influence the slider, leading to damage.
The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.